In current source code compilers and editors, it is possible to insert comments into source code. These comments provide programmers with information about the particular part of the source code, e.g., what the initial intention of a particular part of source code was, and what it does. Also, comments allow programmers to include certain remarks and thoughts in the source code, by which they are able to reconstruct their initial thoughts during programming. Further, comments allow including version information as well as other information.
One drawback of these comments is that they are in plain text within the source code. Every change within the comments results in a change of the source code. If the source code is delivered to customers, they are able to read the comments within the source code. Often, these comments are not intended for the public.
Also, comments are mostly written in the language of the programmer. However, companies that operate internationally often assign programming tasks to more than one programming team and the members of the programming teams may reside in different countries. Therefore, comments within the source code associated with a single project may be in several different languages. In cases such as these, programmers from one country might not be able to read the comments of programmers from another country unless all comments within the source code are translated into one common language or all comments are translated into all of the languages spoken by the team members. Translating all comments into different languages not only is time-consuming but often results in different versions of source code which, in turn, increases the probability of version conflicts and other incompatibilities.